A conventionally known parking assistance apparatus provides, when a vehicle is being parked, parking assistance using image information displayed on a display apparatus such as a vehicle navigation system installed in a portion in front of a driver's seat of the vehicle. For example, the parking assistance apparatus displays vehicles adjacent to a parking space on the display apparatus in the vehicle, when the vehicle is being parked in a public parking lot or the like. At this time, the parking assistance apparatus draws a projection line to the ground on the basis of a photograph image taken by a camera installed in a back portion or the like of the vehicle. Alternatively, the parking assistance apparatus two-dimensionally models a display image using a vehicle shape inputted in advance, according to a schematic shape of each adjacent vehicle based on outer shape information obtained from the photograph image. Through such processing, the parking assistance apparatus provides a two-dimensional view taken from above (so-called top-view displaying) to provide parking assistance. Such a technique is disclosed in, for example, PTL 1.
According to other known techniques, photograph images taken by a plurality of cameras installed in front, back, right, and left portions or other portions of a vehicle are two-dimensionally modeled and displayed in top view on a display apparatus of the vehicle, or a composite image obtained by combining an aerial photograph with an image representing the current position of the vehicle is displayed on the display apparatus to provide parking assistance is provided.